URBANGARDE
Sayonara Subculture
Review by David Cirone
URBANGARDE’s new single “Sayonara Subculture” is surreptitiously catchy. It’s a candy-coated bulletstorm right from the start, its heavy-fuzz guitar balancing vocalist Yokotan’s innocent tone. There’s an evil streak at the heart of this tune, bidding farewell to subculture while simultaneously digging its heels in ever so deeply.
The truth is, URBANGARDE can’t ever say good bye to skewering modern society. They’re having too much fun. However, it seems like all the wicked delight in this 3-song release got packed into the title track. Coupling tracks “Nantonaku Catharsis” and “Kodomo no Renai (OTONA Remix)” are 80’s synth throwbacks that sort of drift along to fill the time.
“Kodomo no Renai” has some special moments, like Yokotan’s soft harmony with the usually abrasive co-vocalist Temma, but I don’t know if it’s worth repeat listens, and memories of the coupling tracks quickly disappear when “Sayonara Subculture’s” instrumental comes back for a reprise.
